When is it time to give up?

[jaclyn1]

I am going to be a junior next semester as a biology major and my GPA is 2.9....I have some experience volunteering at animal shelters and just sent out a bunch of emails for shadowing. But is it even worth it? Do I even have any chance of getting into vet school? Is it better for me to finish my undergrad, become a vet tech for experience and then reapply after that? Or just do something else with my degree? I don't really know what to do and my school's advisors aren't very helpful. 🙁

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[LetItSnow]

I am going to be a junior next semester as a biology major and my GPA is 2.9....I have some experience volunteering at animal shelters and just sent out a bunch of emails for shadowing. But is it even worth it? Do I even have any chance of getting into vet school? Is it better for me to finish my undergrad, become a vet tech for experience and then reapply after that? Or just do something else with my degree? I don't really know what to do and my school's advisors aren't very helpful. 🙁

Well. You can certainly always choose to give up. It is definitely always an option. Would you be satisfied with that choice? If so ... heck, it might not be a bad one.

If you want to not give up and your goal is vet school, then no, it's not too late. You have (very very roughly) 60 credits left to go. There are many schools that look at the pre-req credits as well as the last-45 credits. You have the opportunity to rock out the last-45 credit to make the overall GPA not as big of a deal as it feels.

You also have plenty of time to volunteer/shadow/etc. And there's no rule that says you have to go straight to vet school out of undergrad.

It sounds like what you really need to do is get more information about vet med - ideally in an actual veterinary environment - to decide if it's something you want to do badly enough to work harder at school.

 

[LuckySpartan]

First let me say, 100% it is possibly for you to get into vet school IF you are willing to work your tail off for it. You have classes left to take as previously stated and you will need to get excellent grades. Also, you will need to check out the pre-reqs for the schools you would consider applying to. Get spectacular grades in those classes. It really all comes down to how bad you want it.

Secondly, if you are willing to just waive the white flag and give up... well than I would say vet school isn't for you. The road ahead won't be easy so you need to be committed.

Get some experience shadowing in a clinic than if you want it, go get it!

 

[Jess Monster]

If I were in your situation, I would just try to finish out undergrad with a really strong upward trending GPA and then reevaluate my future goals. Whether you still want to go to vet school in a year's time or want to pursue some other degree, having a stronger academic record will benefit you. Having more work experiences will also benefit you regardless of what you want to pursue in the future.

I decided at the end of undergrad to go for a Master's before applying for vet school - partially because I came out with a 3.3 cGPA and I knew I wasn't going to get into vet school right away. I also had an interest in public health and wanted more time to focus on building experience and networking within that field (which I'm hoping will help me out a lot when I'm in vet school and looking at scholarships, internships, etc.).

Only you will know if it's time to give up on vet school.

 

[SNTech]

Although I had an over 3.5 GPA (don't remember exactly what it was, at the time), I waved the white flag at Organic Chemistry (and rather stupidly, didn't drop the course, because I had to be enrolled in at least 15 semester hours to remain on the sports team I was on, and made a D in the class) and finished college with my B.S. in animal science.

Fast forward two years post graduation, I realize I was absolutely stupid, and would like nothing more than to go to vet school. Because at 20 years old I decided I didn't want to do something, and in reality I just didn't know what I wanted to do. I got out and experienced the job field and spent a lot of time thinking about the future.

So, I don't know that I have any sage words of wisdom but that I've been there and the white flag was waved too soon. Nothing but good can come of working hard and raising your grades, whether you get in to vet school or not.

 

[Staffie]

You've still got time to pull your GPA up a bit, so don't give up because of that. Really focus on your grades and get help if you feel you need it. Go to office hours and try to get to know a prof or two; it can help you understand the material and might lead to a letter of recommendation for vet school.

Don't be afraid to take more upper level science classes than you need for your major. If you do well in them it will show vet schools that you can handle that type of material.

And definitely shadow a vet or two to be sure you want to follow this path.
Good luck!

 

[heyrayray]

Words of wisdom from the vet I worked for. "If you have a back up plan for not going to vet school them you might should take it, if vet school is your only option and that's all you want then work your butt off for it." I made it in with a 3.1 or 3.2 so it can be done just work hard in the classes you have left. Study hard for your GRE test too. Good luck

 

[WildZoo]

If there's any chance that you can retake any classes, I would do that. Some schools will do grade replacement in their GPA calculations.

 

[jaclyn1]

If there's any chance that you can retake any classes, I would do that. Some schools will do grade replacement in their GPA calculations.

Does it look bad to retake multiple classes? 2 General chemistry classes and 2 calculus classes killed my science GPA

 

[jaclyn1]

Words of wisdom from the vet I worked for. "If you have a back up plan for not going to vet school them you might should take it, if vet school is your only option and that's all you want then work your butt off for it." I made it in with a 3.1 or 3.2 so it can be done just work hard in the classes you have left. Study hard for your GRE test too. Good luck

Thanks so much

 

[jaclyn1]

You've still got time to pull your GPA up a bit, so don't give up because of that. Really focus on your grades and get help if you feel you need it. Go to office hours and try to get to know a prof or two; it can help you understand the material and might lead to a letter of recommendation for vet school.

Don't be afraid to take more upper level science classes than you need for your major. If you do well in them it will show vet schools that you can handle that type of material.

And definitely shadow a vet or two to be sure you want to follow this path.
Good luck!

You're right, and I'm now willing to put the work in because I'm now focused and not being a stupid college kid. I'm starting to shadow on Tuesday for a vet 3x week until the fall semester starts 🙂 Thanks so much

 

[WildZoo]

Does it look bad to retake multiple classes? 2 General chemistry classes and 2 calculus classes killed my science GPA

It looks better to retake them and do well than to just accept the poor grades

 

[Staffie]

Does it look bad to retake multiple classes? 2 General chemistry classes and 2 calculus classes killed my science GPA

I would focus on the chemistry classes as most (or all?) vet schools have them as pre-reqs. For most schools, your pre-req grades need to be a C or greater (C- is too low and needs to be repeated, at least at Ohio State - check with the schools for their minimum requirements). I wouldn't worry too much about the calculus as most vet schools won't require it, and those that do probably only want 1 semester. Again, check with schools you're interested in. If you got a passing grade in second semester calculus (something better than F), I wouldn't bother with it. Most schools don't list it as a pre-req, and you'd likely struggle with it again. Sure, it'd be great to go from a D to a B in second semester calculus, but your GPA would be better off taking an upper level bio class and getting an A in it instead.

 

[Vet1234]

For math classes, I think some schools allow college algebra to suffice for a math pre-reg. So if you didn't get above a c or c- in calc, you could take the algebra route. Also, a lot of schools allow you to take classes at a community college which is definitely cheaper.

Have you considered some of the schools out of the country? I have heard Ross looks at more than your GPA when making considerations for acceptance. Even with a 2.9 cumulative GPA you could make it into vet school in the US if you apply smart and are willing to apply more than once. Some schools list their minimum cGPA, some schools have a 3.0 minimum and others have a 2.75.

Also, I applied to vet school without any advisor help. Yes it is nice to have someone there to offer advice to you, but the SDN community can help with that. If it were not for this website I would have been so lost. I'd recommend reading through the different threads from schools and checking out the different schools websites. Be open to different schools and apply to schools that you could realistically get into. Rock the GRE and the experience portion of your application, just do whatever you can to make yourself stellar in other aspects of your application. Also, get volunteer and leadership experience outside of vet med too. I actually met one of the reviewers of my application and he mentioned that it helped that I had a variety of experiences outside of vet experience (plus my vet experience).

As you will learn with this process, there really is no true formula to getting into vet school. It is a lot of hard work, determination, and a little bit of luck.

 

[Gr8fu11]

You should not give up. As someone earlier stated you have roughly 60 hours (about half of your credit load needed for graduation in undergrad) to improve your GPA. A 2.9 is not a death sentence at the end of sophomore year. If you buckle down and take atleast 15 credit hours a semester, making the best grades you can (preferably A's and B's) you can see your GPA go from 2.9 to a 3.2 or higher. You may be able to even pull off a 3.3.

If you do decide that is what you want to do, you should start focusing on better grades this fall. As you may know, the more credits you have completed the harder it is to change your GPA from semester to semester. Your GPA is still fairly malleable at this point.

Not only will improving your GPA boost your confidence while applying, it will give you an amazing explanation statement and upward trend in grades.

Good luck!

 

[that redhead]

I am going to be a junior next semester as a biology major and my GPA is 2.9....I have some experience volunteering at animal shelters and just sent out a bunch of emails for shadowing. But is it even worth it? Do I even have any chance of getting into vet school? Is it better for me to finish my undergrad, become a vet tech for experience and then reapply after that? Or just do something else with my degree? I don't really know what to do and my school's advisors aren't very helpful. 🙁

Yes, you have a chance if you can improve your GPA and have a strong last 45. All these stories of success are great for motivation, but you need to figure out why you've struggled. The classes will only become harder from this point forward, and I can guarantee that doing the same thing you've always done will result in the same grades. How will you get As in the tougher upper division sciences to prove you're ready for school? How will you make more time to study, and study effectively?

To be very honest, I think it's best you focus on your grades now and find the experiences later. As someone who had a lot of experience and the same GPA you did, it didn't help me to get in anywhere state-side. Schools want those grades, whether throughout your undergrad career or your last 45 hours. Without experience, your application will be very weak, but I'm of the opinion that you can take time between UG and vet school to get those hours.

 

[fluffpuffbichon]

I've seen some people who's been a vet tech for years and years, and finally decided to go for vet school (literally vet tech for close to 2 decades, with kids etc). My GPA isn't anywhere amazing either, and I'm trying to apply this year -- I know that it's not impossible to get in, and you always hear those stories where people with a two-point-whatever get in.

Remember that you also have GREs, letter of recs, and personal statement. I realize that those might not be enough to make up for a low GPA, but it doesn't mean that they don't count towards anything. I also know that vet schools take into account how persistent you are, and some people would literally apply year after year and finally their persistence pays off.

I've been working as a veterinary assistant since I've graduated undergrad and I honestly cannot live my life settling as just an RVT/assistant. I'm always craving for answers and I can't settle just knowing the 'technical stuff' like how a lot of the techs I work with are. I guess I could be a 'specialist RVT,' but I really can't imagine myself being told to do treatments forever without understanding the science behind it. I'm so close to being able to apply and get in, I can't possibly live life knowing that all I had to do was one or two things... I'll regret it deeply if I don't even try and give up now.

Of course I have plan B and C in case I can't keep expending on vet school applications. I've definitely thought I'm unfit when I failed one of my classes, and it was a low point in my academic career, but I've just used it as an learning experience.

You also hear about those veterinarians that go through whatever great school, and then couldn't even do a proper neuter for a cat... When I hear those stories I seriously think if those kinda people get in, I should be more than qualified, lol.

 

[dyachei]

I guess I could be a 'specialist RVT,' but I really can't imagine myself being told to do treatments forever without understanding the science behind it

Um, techs (especially certified ones) do learn the science behind things. And good techs that don't ask questions. Specialized techs are super valuable and know a lot about their chosen field.

Also your comment about cat neutered seems a little naive at the very minimum. In vet school, we discussed how to do a cat neuter but most of my classmates didn't get a chance to perform one. I got to do one. One of the issues with vet school is that there is a very small amount of time to learn everything and very few surgeries performed by students unless you go out of your way to get the experience. The first year or 2 out of school continues this part of your education. Having a vet that "can't do a proper neuter" just means they didn't do much of that in school. It says nothing about their competency as a vet

 

[Lab Vet]

Um, techs (especially certified ones) do learn the science behind things. And good techs that don't ask questions. Specialized techs are super valuable and know a lot about their chosen field.

Also your comment about cat neutered seems a little naive at the very minimum. In vet school, we discussed how to do a cat neuter but most of my classmates didn't get a chance to perform one. I got to do one. One of the issues with vet school is that there is a very small amount of time to learn everything and very few surgeries performed by students unless you go out of your way to get the experience. The first year or 2 out of school continues this part of your education. Having a vet that "can't do a proper neuter" just means they didn't do much of that in school. It says nothing about their competency as a vet

There's so much to learn in vet school, that new graduate can't possibly be expected to be an expert in everything. Competency in diagnostics and competency in hand skills are two very different balls of wax. Some students are slower to pick up the tactile skills (I'm one of them). Thanks for posting this, dyachei. I hope that this aspiring vet student realizes that the path to veterinary competence is a long road. Not everyone travels that path at the same rate, and different students (and vets) have different levels of comfort with what's expected of them as practitioners. It's always a good rule not to judge a person (or training environment) before experiencing the situation one's self.

 

[LetItSnow]

hope that this aspiring vet student realizes that the path to veterinary competence is a long road.

It's actually one of the more common attitudes from CVT/RVT/etc students in vet school. Some of them are great classmates, but some of them come in with a weird attitude like "I'm already a vet in everything but degree" and are real d-bag classmates. Not saying that poster is one of them ..... But she'd do well to temper her thinking when she starts vet school about that type of stuff. The hints are there of the cvt superiority complex. I dunno. Maybe we just had a few that soured me on the cvt vet student. We had a couple that were the opposite - really put their experience to use helping ramp up classmates, but.....

 

[Skimble]

It's actually one of the more common attitudes from CVT/RVT/etc students in vet school. Some of them are great classmates, but some of them come in with a weird attitude like "I'm already a vet in everything but degree" and are real d-bag classmates. Not saying that poster is one of them ..... But she'd do well to temper her thinking when she starts vet school about that type of stuff. The hints are there of the cvt superiority complex. I dunno. Maybe we just had a few that soured me on the cvt vet student. We had a couple that were the opposite - really put their experience to use helping ramp up classmates, but.....

I've had a few clients tell me I'll sail through vet school since I "know everything" from being a tech for so long. Meanwhile I feel like I don't know anything!

 

[Minnerbelle]

I've had a few clients tell me I'll sail through vet school since I "know everything" from being a tech for so long. Meanwhile I feel like I don't know anything!

I had a client who gave her dog some motrin as advised by her sister who is a vet tech at the teaching hospital.

I was like wtf? Kinda doubt it, but if it was true (could be) who da fuuuuuk would say something that stupid. Well it turns out that her sister brought her dog to the teaching hospital so much she might as well have been a vet tech...

 

[jaclyn1]

Thank you so much everyone. Everyone had great points that I will definitely take into account throughout my undergrad/vet school application process. I've been volunteering at a clinic for several weeks where I've shadowed two surgeries, and I'm starting to volunteer at a wildlife rehab on Monday for animal care. Once I go back to college in the fall I have some vet offices lined up that said they'd be willing to take me in to shadow.
I have already retaken 2 classes (chemistry and physiology) and improved slightly.
If I wanted to really boost my GPA would it look bad to take on an extra year of undergrad to do decently in some additional upper division bios and maybe retake gen chem and molecular bio? Will they think I'm too stupid if I need to retake so many classes and do an extra year just to get my GPA up?

 

[thecatastrophist]

Thank you so much everyone. Everyone had great points that I will definitely take into account throughout my undergrad/vet school application process. I've been volunteering at a clinic for several weeks where I've shadowed two surgeries, and I'm starting to volunteer at a wildlife rehab on Monday for animal care. Once I go back to college in the fall I have some vet offices lined up that said they'd be willing to take me in to shadow.
I have already retaken 2 classes (chemistry and physiology) and improved slightly.
If I wanted to really boost my GPA would it look bad to take on an extra year of undergrad to do decently in some additional upper division bios and maybe retake gen chem and molecular bio? Will they think I'm too stupid if I need to retake so many classes and do an extra year just to get my GPA up?

From what I can tell, schools have varying opinions on what you should and should not retake, depending on the class and grade.

Obviously, if you failed or got a D in a prerequisite, you'll definitely want to retake it. Should you re-take every C just to pad out your GPA though? Probably not. Most vet schools factor both attempts for a class into your GPA, so it doesn't make as big of a difference as it would if they replaced the grade.

Call the programs that interest you and talk to them about your situation. They can give you a realistic perspective on what to do.

Addendum; if retaking EVERYTHING is going to take a year, I'd suggest against it UNLESS the program advisers say you should. That's a lot of extra money to spend, given the high costs of vet school.

 

[WildZoo]

If I wanted to really boost my GPA would it look bad to take on an extra year of undergrad to do decently in some additional upper division bios and maybe retake gen chem and molecular bio? Will they think I'm too stupid if I need to retake so many classes and do an extra year just to get my GPA up?

This is a good idea. They won't think you're stupid - if you do well they will see that you have matured and that you are more ready to handle a vet school curriculum.

 

[jaclyn1]

This is a good idea. They won't think you're stupid - if you do well they will see that you have matured and that you are more ready to handle a vet school curriculum.

Thank you so much for the advice 😍

 

[jaclyn1]

From what I can tell, schools have varying opinions on what you should and should not retake, depending on the class and grade.

Obviously, if you failed or got a D in a prerequisite, you'll definitely want to retake it. Should you re-take every C just to pad out your GPA though? Probably not. Most vet schools factor both attempts for a class into your GPA, so it doesn't make as big of a difference as it would if they replaced the grade.

Call the programs that interest you and talk to them about your situation. They can give you a realistic perspective on what to do.

Addendum; if retaking EVERYTHING is going to take a year, I'd suggest against it UNLESS the program advisers say you should. That's a lot of extra money to spend, given the high costs of vet school.

Thank you so much!!